BFC Swim Nights

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Home > Regional info > Pacific Northwest > Washington > Seattle > Seattle Swims > BFC Swim Nights

See also NAC Seattle Swims

History

In 2006, The Naturist Action Committee (NAC) (official site and new blog) and the Seattle-based Body Freedom Collaborative (BFC) (official site) organized the NAC Seattle Swims: a series of evening nude swims in Seattle, Washington. Many naturist groups have organized such events in the past in private health clubs, but NAC was particularly excited to initiate nude use of two fine indoor public swimming pools run and operated by Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Those nude swims served as fundraisers for NAC, to assist it in its ongoing work advancing and defending opportunities for responsible clothes-free recreation at private sites and on select public lands. NAC also intended the swims' success serve as a model and a "proof of concept" for other skinny-dippers across North America who will wish to work with municipalities to make use of other public swimming pools.

That goal was further realized in 2007 when NAC announced the development of the NAC Huntington Beach Swim, which was held on October 27, 2007, in the municipally owned Huntington Beach City Gym in Huntington Beach, California.

Moreover, the NAC Seattle Swims aimed to further good relations between NAC, local skinny-dippers, and the City of Seattle. Finally, the NAC Seattle Swims were a whole lot of fun.

Organizers

NAC and BFC board member Mark Storey and BFC co-director Daniel Johnson are organizing the swims. They selected Ballard Pool from on the basis of the facilities’ ease of access, the pools’ amenities, and neighborhood safety. NAC Seattle Swims participants also showed interest in returning to this location. Ballard Pool is located in the Ballard District of Seattle, and boasts a large pool (3-12 feet deep) featuring a diving board, tube slide, and rope swing. A large hot tub sits next to the pool.

We would like to thank Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation for their assistance in providing the location for this event.

Schedule

Upcoming events

All swims are on the second Saturday of the month, and go from 8:00-10:00 PM (except where noted). People may arrive 15 minutes early to undress in the men’s and women’s changing rooms (each containing coin-operated lockers). Swimmers are not allowed in the water before the swim start time. Swimmers need to bring their own towels and any personal swim gear.

Upcoming swims:

• Sat, May 10, 2008, 8-10 PM Ballard Pool

Previous events

See NAC Seattle Swims for the six events organized by NAC and BFC before BFC Night Swims began in Nov 2007.

• Sat, Nov 10, 2007, 8-10 PM Ballard Pool, 40 in attendance (33 males, 7 females)
• Sat, Dec 08, 2007, 8-10 PM Ballard Pool, 37 in attendance (32 males, 5 females)
• Sat, Jan 12, 2008, 8-10 PM Ballard Pool, 35 in attendance (28 males, 7 females)
• Sat, Feb 09, 2008, 8-10 PM Ballard Pool
• Sat, Mar 08, 2008, 8-10 PM Ballard Pool, 32 in attendance (23 males, 9 females)
• Sat, Apr 12, 2008, 8-10 PM Ballard Pool (cancelled due to City staffing restrictions and staffing problems)

Contact info

Fill out the web form

To indicate you are interested in participating in this event, please fill out the form at the SeattleSwims.org web site using the form on the right side of the page. Make sure you select "NAC Seattle Swims" from the pull-down menu and put in your e-mail address.

E-mail contact info

You can also contact organizers via e-mail at

Admittance to the BFC Swim Nights

The City of Seattle rents its swimming facilities for private use, so BFC agreed that those enjoying the BFC Swim Nights would be associated with BFC or be a guest in good standing. All participants must also read, follow and enforce BFC Swim Nights expectations (outlined on the reverse of the BFC Swim Nights card (see below)) as well as aquatic facility rules.

BFC Swim Nights participants

You can buy a $5 BFC Swim Nights participation card allowing entrance to these fun swims by one of the following:

• Showing your current, up-to-date membership card from a recognized naturist/nudist group see examples, or
• Being known to the BFC Swim Nights directors as participating in good standing in Seattle-area events promoting non-sexualized social nudity see examples.

Once you have the NBFC Swim Nights partipation card, you may bring a guest who will pay $12 per swim.

Note: Do not get your BFC Swim Nights participation card wet, it was printed with an inkjet printer and will bleed ink if exposed to water.

Costs for BFC Swim Nights participants

To gain admission into their first BFC Swim Nights event, individuals must bring their up-to-date membership card from any recognized naturist/nudist organization, or be recognized as an active participant in a Seattle-area event promoting non-sexualized social nudity, or be a guest of one of the former. They will then purchase a participation card (see sample images on the right of the page) for the BFC Swim Nights for $5. The BFC Swim Nights participant card (along with a photo ID) will allow access to any of the 2007/08 NBFC Swim Nights. Each swim costs an additional $10 per person. Thus if you were to go to all six swims, it would cost $5 for the swim card and $60 for all six swims. If you go to one swim, it would cost $5 for the swim card and $10 for one swim.

Children and teens

Children and teens under 18 years of age will be admitted (free of charge) only when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

BFC fundraiser

Please keep in mind that these group swims also serve as fundraisers for BFC. 100% of the proceeds after expenses that comes in for these swims goes to future pool rentals and BFC. Cash or personal checks made out to “Body Freedom Collaborative” will be accepted at the door. Organizers will not be able to process credit card payments for the swims.

Help spread the word!

Please pass word of the BFC Swim Nights to fellow naturists, nudists, and other skinny-dipping enthusiasts.

Terms and conditions

All participants must abide by, agree to and enforce the following terms and conditions (NAC Seattle Swims participant cards have a short version of these on the reverse of the card (see image at right)):

Aquatic facility requirements

• All participants must follow Seattle Parks & Recreation aquatic facility rules, unless otherwise specified by the City.
  • Please shower with soap and water before going in the pool or spa/warm water pool.
• As requested by Seattle Parks & Rec managment, swim organizers will cover the windows looking into the pool so that the swims will be private. That said, the NAC Seattle Swims are events at which behavior at all times throughout the facilities will be appropriate for young and old. Participants and Parks staff will be promoting and preserving a family-friendly, non-sexualized atmosphere (see below).

Safe, welcoming environment

This is a non-sexualized, body-positive event. Overt lewd behavior, unwanted comments or insulting remarks about other peoples’ bodies will not be tolerated. Sexual harassment in any form will not be tolerated. Respect the personal space of others.

Clothes-free environment

Participants are expected to be clothes free in the pool area when practical. This is not a clothing-optional event.

Background check

All applicants may be required to provide information for and must pass an inquiry made to the National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR). Information provided for this inquiry must be confirmed with a Washington State driver license or Washington State identification card. For more information on this procedure, please send your full name and full address including the name of the county you reside to Daniel Johnson at the e-mail address given above before attending a swim event.

Restrictions on photography and videography

Photography and videography of the swims will be strictly regulated by the organizers. Photography will be allowed only on pre-approval of the organizers and for only a set amount of time in set locations; no one will ever be photographed without his or her explicit and informed permission. In short, cameras, PDAs, and mobile phones will not be allowed in the pool area. Coin-operated lockers are available in the changing rooms to store your cell phones.

Rights to exclude

Participants understand this is a private event and they may be asked by event staff to modify their behavior and/or leave. If there is ANY reason for the NAC Seattle Swims directors to think that a person may be attempting to attend any of the NAC Seattle Swims for an inappropriate reason, he or she will be refused admittance.

Age-based policy

All participants over 18 are expected to participate naked in the pool area when practical; those under 18 may choose for themselves. No one under 18 will be allowed into the pool area without his or her parent or legal guardian.

Directions

Ballard Pool

1471 NW 67th St., Seattle
Official online directions
Heading North on I-5:
Take the N 85th St. exit (i.e., Exit #172).
Stay on N 85th St. heading west.
Continue on N 85th until you come to 15th Ave. NW.
Turn left onto 15th Ave NW.
Continue on 15th Ave NW until you come to NW 67th St.
Turn left onto NW 67th St.
Ballard Pool will be on your right-hand side.
Heading South on I-5:
Take the N 85th St. exit (i.e., Exit #172).
Turn right onto N 85th St.
Continue on N 85th until you come to 15th Ave. NW.
Turn left onto 15th Ave NW.
Continue on 15th Ave NW until you come to NW 67th St.
Turn left onto NW 67th St.
Ballard Pool will be on your right-hand side.

See you at the pool!

Event background

Daniel Johnson came up with the idea of having swims at City of Seattle municipal pools after reading an article about Muslim and Jewish women renting out the City pools for private swims and covering the windows for privacy. Knowing that there was a strong demand for clothing-optional indoor swims in this area given the popularity of the other local events (see SeattleSwims.org), Johnson brought the idea to Mark Storey, Johnson's associate and co-founder of the Body Freedom Collaborative. Storey is also a board member of the Naturist Action Committee.

As board members of BFC, Johnson and Storey decided to hand the project over to NAC because of the organization"s experience and also to provide an opportunity for a local NAC fundraiser. Johnson and Storey are working together with local skinny-dippers to organize the event.

After initial contacts and approval were made with Parks & Rec Aquatics management, lead coordination has since been under Mark Storey. The City's Park & Recreation Aquatics Program staff have also been great people to work with to help make this happen.

Parks & Rec writeup

Two City of Seattle Parks & Recreation employees that also participate in our swims have passed along that a little writeup was included in a recent edition of the Seattle Parks & Recreation Monthly Report, October 2006 edition, published on November 8, 2006. Under Operations Divison: Aquatics on Page 9 it reads:

Nude Swimming: The Naturist Action Committee rented Madison Pool for a “clothes optional” swim. Activities included swimming, diving and a volleyball game in the shallow end. The group was required to cover the windows before the swim, and the lifeguards were all clothed. Additional rentals are scheduled for November and December. A nice thank you letter was received from the Naturist Action Committee commending the staff on their professionalism.

One error they made was to say that this was a "clothes optional" swim. Only those under 18 have the option of being clothing optional. We do expect nudity when practical. We also don't want to encourage or pay for lookie loos. We also have also booked dates in January, February and March 2007.